North Melbourne have revealed defender Jackson Archer has sustained a high-grade hamstring strain, with the young Roo facing two months on the sidelines.
Archer was subbed out of Thursday's loss to Essendon with the injury, and would undergo scans prior to the weekend to determine the extent of the setback.
The club confirmed on Friday that Archer is facing close to eight weeks on the sidelines, however his return timeframe will depend on the early periods of his recovery.
โObviously this is really disappointing news for Jackson and our whole program," Roos football boss Todd Viney said in a club update.
"He's a key part of our defensive structure and was only just finding continuity in his footy again after missing a few weeks.
โWe anticipate Jackson will miss approximately eight weeks, but that timeline will depend on his early rehab progress.โ
The injury comes in Archer's second game back from suspension and injury, having served a three-game ban and also dealing with a minor hamstring injury suffered last month.
The latest setback for the father-son Roo will mean he will have played just three games at AFL level to the midway mark of the year.
Archer joins Josh Goater (hamstring) and Callum Coleman-Jones (Achilles) in North Melbourne's casualty ward, while forward Paul Curtis has two more matches to serve for his rough conduct suspension.
North Melbourne are scheduled to face Brisbane, Richmond and Collingwood in their next three matches.
